Palestine Action cases placing ‘big burden’ on counter terror police, Met chief admits
A chief has admitted laying charges against 2,000 protesters arrested for supporting the banned Palestine Movement group has placed a “huge burden” on counter-terrorism officials.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has revealed the huge toll of hundreds of arrests in repeated protests over the government’s decision to ban the direct action group.
At the last demonstration in Trafalgar Square earlier this month, around 500 people were taken away by officers for holding banners reading “I oppose genocide, support Palestine Action”.
This brings the total number of possible charges under the Terrorism Act to around 2,000 for defying the controversial ban, which is being challenged in the High Court.
Facing questions in the London Assembly on Thursday, Sir Mark said: “We have around 2,000 people at the moment, most of whom are awaiting a decision to prosecute by the attorney general. Some of them are on the way, some of them we are still reviewing the files.”
“Although these files are terrorist files, they are not very complex files, but 2 thousand files are a lot of work.
“This is a huge burden for our Counterterrorism team. [the] Public order team, this is a huge burden for the Crown Prosecution Service.
“The courts are anticipating multiple lengthy hearings next year, so I worry that the justice system is not moving quickly enough to show that it is taking this seriously.”
His comments came after 28 people pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for supporting the banned group.
It is likely to be the first in a series of complex hearings related to the demonstrations as judges scramble to find courtrooms to hear hundreds of potential cases.
A total of 138 protesters have so far been charged with supporting the banned group at demonstrations in July, according to the CPS.
It is also possible to postpone the hearings until the Supreme Court’s objection to the group’s ban is concluded.
Sir Mark also told councilors that the force has faced an “escalating situation” in terms of public order policing in recent years, with a “rising curve” in demonstrations since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It continues to increase,” he added. “This is a challenge for the organization and we share the burden more, but it is a bigger burden to carry.”
Police protests and events in September alone cost the Met £19.7 million and required 21,000 officer shifts.
He said this distracts officers from their duties in the neighborhood and can lead to slower response times and investigations into other types of crimes.
Earlier this month, Shabana Mahmood announced police would be given greater powers to restrict repeated protests after the incident in Trafalgar Square, which continued despite calls from police and the prime minister for a delay.
Repeated large-scale protests following the Manchester synagogue attack have caused “significant fear” for the Jewish community, the home secretary has said.
“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of its neighbors to live their lives without fear.”
“Large, repeated protests can leave parts of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated, and afraid to leave their homes.”
But organizers Save Our Juries have responded by promising “huge tension” in their campaign to overturn the Palestine Action ban ahead of a Supreme Court legal challenge on 25 November.
A spokesman for the group said it was “incredible” that the home secretary had responded to condemnation of the ban with more pressure.
“This confirms what we have warned about from the beginning: banning Palestine Action was never about one group; it is a dangerous, authoritarian escalation that threatens the right to protest for everyone in our country,” they added.
